Until recently, my knowledge of chickens– live ones, at least– was very limited. When I thought of poultry egg production, my mind turned to clucking, gossipy hens who, upon hearing the seductive croon of an emaciated rooster resembling a young Frank Sinatra with feathers, fainted dead away on the small mountain of eggs that just poured out of their backsides as a result of their .
That is, until I met Sophia [above, left] and Zsu Zsu [above, right], two who make their home with the Kriese family in Redwood City.
I’d read about these hens at — a fascinating blog started by Thomas and Melanie Kriese that began as an online diary about the joys and challenges of raising baby chicks into egg-laying adulthood, but has since grown into a mouthpiece for a kind of nascient-though-growing Poultry Rights movement. Yes, if you are looking for the latest-breaking local and national poultry news, you can find it there.
My original fascination with the website stemmed from an outlining the . Yes, that means raising chickens within San Francisco city limits. Apparently, anyone with enough room to keep a chicken coop 20 feet away from any human dwelling’s door or window can keep up to four chickens (sorry, no roosters) as pets! Somehow, I found this news very cheering.
Imagine waking up to find fresh eggs delivered a mere 20 feet from your back door every morning by animals who have imprinted more deeply upon you than your children ever will. Just please don’t expect miracles– hens lay on average once every 26 hours, which would give you…you’ll have to do the math yourself. If that is beyond you, you have no business caring for chickens since you most likely have enough difficulty just getting dressed in the morning.
[Above: Sophia’s very first egg is on the left, her latest, on the right.]
Fresh eggs. Not farm-fresh, mind you. Fresher than that. Fresh from the business ends of your pets.
Pets that like you so much, they provide you with food. Yes, cats will occasionally offer you a small dead bird or lizard, but only a loving chicken can provide you with the consistent means to create marvelous omelets.
And if I had a dog, I’d be looking at him with deep disappointment right about now, too.
Not only do chickens-as-pets provide eggs, they gladly lend themselves to weeding and pest control. And the supply of fertilizer is nearly endless.
Chickens, it would seem, are good for the environment.
After the Krieses kindly allowed me to spend time with their docile, kid-friendly hens, they sent me off with a few eggs from their personal stash, wrapping the very-latest egg separately, so that I might distinguish it from the rest. I was eager to crack it open and have at it.
Upon return to my friend ‘s house, I cracked open a beer, and then proceeded to do the same with the freshest egg in my acquaintance.
There was very little I wished to do other than eat it. But how? A light scramble, with just a little butter in the pan and a slight sprinkling of sea salt when it hit the plate. I cooked up a store-bought (though still organic) egg exactly the same way and compared the two. Everything about the ür-fresh egg was richer– the color of the yolk, the flavor, and the feel on the tongue. The store-bought egg was still good, but, you know where I am going with this, surely.
The thought of returning to my tiny, chicken-free apartment suddenly depressed me a little. Then I took another swig of beer, another bite of scrambled egg, and moved on.
If you think you might be eligible to keep some urban chickens of you very own, or just want to read about people who do, visit .
To purchase an Eglu, which is basically a Barbie Dream home for chickens, visit:
Related
We have many Rare Chicken Breeds for sale in Rutland North Dakota,
including Sussex Chickens, Welsummer Chickens, Turken Chickens and more.
Be sure to check out the Bargain Specials, as you can combine different
egg layers in smaller amounts and buy as an assortment. Rutland
North Dakota also has poultry equipment for sale, game chickens for sale in
Rutland North Dakota, bantams for sale, ducks for sale, geese for sale,
turkeys for sale, guinea for sale, peafowl for sale, pheasant for sale,
chukar partridge for sale, bobwhite for sale, many different breeds of
baby chicks for sale in Rutland ND.
Thumbing through a baby chickens for sale in Rutland North Dakota
catalog is a yearly traditions in many houses. My kids and I eagerly await
the Murray McMurray Hatchery catalog. We love looking at all the cool and
different chicken breeds available. Catalogs are free so head on over to
their site and request one if you are interested.
Typically hatcheries online offer both standard breeds
and bantams. Bantams are fun hardy little chickens, they lay tiny eggs
that kids especially love collecting. Bantams typically weigh less than 2
pounds when full grown. Just like ordering anything online there are pros
and cons to ordering baby chicks online. Pros of buying baby chicks in
Rutland North Dakota * Big Selection - If you are wanting a large
variety of different chicken breeds and egg colors, you will find the best
selection at an online hatchery. * Both Bantams and full sized chickens
available * You get to choose what sex you want. If you want a mixture of
both male and female then choosing a "straight run" will save you money
and you will get a mixture of male and female chicks. You can also choose
all males or all females too. * Weekly specials. Hatcheries have sales on
chicks, you are likely to get a good deal if you are flexible with the
breeds you are wanting. Cons of buying baby chicks in Rutland
North Dakota * Order early to get the best selection. Certain breeds sell
out fast, sometimes as early as 6 months in advance of shipping! If you
are wanting a certain breed it's best to order your chicks in the fall
before their orders sell out.
Quantity - you must order a certain number of chicks. Typically hatcheries
will require you buy a minimum of 25 chicks at a time. The number is
necessary for the chicks survival during shipping. All 25 chicks are put
in one small box without heat. They are crowded in the box and produce
enough body heat to arrive in good shape. * The wait - If you choose to
buy chicks from a feed store you will have them the same day but if you
choose to go with a hatchery you have to wait until they are ready to ship
and then wait for the chicks to arrive. Ordering baby chicks online in
Rutland North Dakota is easy and has always been a very pleasant
experience of me. It can be a little frustrating waiting for the chicks
but it's so worth the wait. When the post office calls and you hear all
those little "cheeps" or "chirps" in the background you'll know the wait
was worth it! How to Care for your new baby chickens in Rutland,
North Dakota Baby chicks are quite
cute and
hard to stand up to,
but it's ideal to prepare for their
arrival prior to you obtain them. Prepare initially
by collecting not only the
proper products, but
likewise the proper
knowledge to take care of
them. Raising baby chicks is reasonably
basic, you simply have to provide them with the following: A tidy and also warm
habitat Lots of food and also water Attention and also
love Habitat Your environment could be an easy box, fish tank,
feline carrier, or guinea
porker cage. Line it with old towels as well as
blankets (without any loose
strings!) to start, as well as after a
couple of weeks utilize straw over paper.
Note: Avoid making use of only
paper or other sandal
surfaces-- or your chicks legs could expand
malformed. You likewise require
something to provide food and
water in, such as a chicken feeder as well as water
recipe from the feed store, or a pickle container
lid for food and also an animal bird water dispenser from a pet shop. Likewise, as the chicks age you can present a perch
into the habitat to obtain them
educated on perching. Heat To
keep your chicks heat you have to
give them with a heat resource.
This could be as easy as a 100 watt
light bulb in a reflective clamp style light from an equipment store, or an infrared reptile warmth
light bulb also function extremely well (my
suggestion). Chicks need this
heat 24/7 until their downy fluff is
replaced with plumes (which could occupy to 2 months). The freshly
hatched require a temperature level
between 90 and also 100 levels,
and also every week this could
be lowered by
roughly 5 levels approximately. The heat source ought
to get on simply one side of the cage
to allow chicks a variety of
temperatures. The chicks are your finest
thermometer- if they are concealing in the
opposite edge of your heat
lamp, you have to
decrease the temperature level. If
they are surrounding each various other under the
heat (not merely cuddling),
you should put some heat.
Home cleaning
Sanitation is essential as
well as it maintains your chicks healthy. Make sure to alter
the bedding
usually and
always give tidy
food and water Food as well as water.
Chicks grow extremely quick
which needs lots of clean
food and water. Give
sufficient whatsoever times and examine
frequently to prevent thirsty as well as
starving chicks. Chick food is different compared
to adult chicken food, and it comes
in both medicated and
also non-medicated ranges. Feed chick food for the
first 2 months, after that
switch to a grower food (~ 17 %
healthy protein) for one more 2 months,
and after that to a slightly
reduced healthy protein feed or a layer feed
(if you have levels). Dirt Some chicks prefer to get a head start on taking
dust bathrooms, while others won't use up that activity until they are
older. If you have the room in your chick
room, present a tray of sand or
filth for them to wash in.
Focus as well as love There are a couple of benefits to hanging
out with your chicks. First of all, they will certainly probably bond with you and also
not flee as grownups. Second, if you
examine your chicks daily as well as
see their actions, you can
capture ailment or other troubles previously. Keep an
eye out for wheezing, limping, or
various other unhealthy
indicators. Be sure to
additionally check out
their poop, as diarrhea can bring about matted feathers and obstructed cloaca.
Lastly, it is necessary to look out
for social problems, such as the
tiniest chick getting picked
on. Empty nest syndrome So your
chicks are currently completely feathered
and its time for them to leave the
security of your residence
and also relocate outside right into a
coop. Take a look at our
part on chicken cages to read more
about coops and
appropriate cage habitats.